


Sovereign Next Door

by KARIN848



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: King Stiles Stilinski, Lydia Martin & Stiles Stilinski Friendship, Lydia Martin is always right, M/M, Multi, Mutual Pining, Prince Derek Hale, Queen Talia Hale, Scenting, Slow burn where the burn is them finally meeting each other, Spark!Stiles, Supernaturals are known, Tell me if I need to tag anything else in here, They take so long to meet I apologise profusely for this one y'all, but briefly - Freeform, neighboring kingdoms, royal au, werewolves are known
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-01
Updated: 2017-12-01
Packaged: 2019-02-09 01:02:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12876840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KARIN848/pseuds/KARIN848
Summary: Stiles Stilinski defeats the corrupt Argent rulers and inherits their kingdom and the title of King. With his close group of advisors, he must find a way to fit into this new role. The first step - attending a celebration thrown in his honor by the neighboring royals, the Hale pack.





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

  * For [moretomhardy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/moretomhardy/gifts).



> I would like to send a million apologies for the amount of lead-up there is in this fic. It certainly took up a life of it's own while I was writing it. This was beta'd by myself, so general warning for any grammar/spelling mistakes that might have snuck past me. Hope you enjoy reading this fic!

 

The Hale pack was infamous. Their loyalty to the people that live on their protected land was a well-known fact. They’ve been sheltering their denizens for many years, providing shelter for creatures of all kinds, human and Other. No one who lives on the land lives in ignorance of the Hale family and what they have contributed to their way of life. Hale is an ancient name, on that has lasted for decades. The Hale mansion has housed a plethora of generations of previous Hale packs.

The current alpha of the pack, Talia Hale, rules over her kingdom with a benevolent sort of effortless grace. A master at winding words around you in such a confident way that you have no choice but to see things from her perspective. She’s an excellent negotiator, and an even better wordsmith. The tales she used to tell her children when they were small would leave them waiting with baited breath each night before bed. There’s a cadence to her words that pulls you in, captivated by the tale she weaves with such improvisational ease. The speeches she has given to her kingdom have gone down in history, as she performs them with such eloquence and conviction, her people eager to fight for her cause.

The alpha mate of the pack, David Hale, Talia’s husband, is kind yet firm, with a taste for mischief. Admittedly, the eldest daughter, Laura Hale, must have inherited her love of pranks and games from at least one of her parents. David doesn’t care much for the attention that comes with being the Queen’s chosen partner, but he is always happy to make a public appearance if it’s to help a social cause. He can frequently be seen making visits to the community, talking directly with the people, seeing life from their viewpoint. David Hale is always ready to lend a citizen the expensive clothes off his back at the faintest call for help.

Laura Hale has been groomed to take her mother’s place since she was young, and she has taken to the responsibility with just as much ease and grace as her mother before her. Acting as her mother’s second hand, Laura mainly operates as the packs communication liaison with surrounding territories. She’s also the one who throws massive social events in the giant ballroom of the Hale mansion. Leaders and their packs from all over the continent – and beyond – clear their schedules for the chance to attend a Hale gathering.

Which brings Stiles to his current predicament, staring at the ornate invitation announcing Laura Hale’s most recent celebration – the end of the Argent family’s reign. Stiles’ presence has been requested as the guest of honor. He was the one that led the militia group that snuck into the Argent castle and put an end to their cruelty once and for all. With the help of Stiles’ best friend, Scott McCall, and the Argent’s youngest daughter, Allison, Stiles led an operation to stop Gerard Argent’s tyrannical rule. Stiles admits it wasn’t completely for the greater good of the people. Part of him wanted revenge on Gerard and his sadistic daughter Kate, for the torture they had put him through a few months earlier.

And now the Hales want to thank him with an extravagant party. Stiles slumps back in the office chair that he commandeered with the rest of the Argent’s property and building. Apparently challenging the ruling family and defeating them makes him the next in line for the throne. With this new surge of power comes new responsibility and all that jazz. Stiles wonders if it might have been better to stay out of the limelight, but he’s got a bad habit of butting in when he knows people are being mistreated.

Lydia Martin, his number one political advisor, has stated her worry on numerous occasions. Stiles tends to rush headlong into things without thinking of the consequences. It’s why he and Scott would get into so much trouble when they were younger. Lydia may be a Banshee, but she’d be just as scary even if she weren’t supernatural, in Stiles’ opinion. She’s usually right about most things, like when she pointed out that taking down an entire corrupt royal family was maybe too much for them to handle.

People obviously don’t fear Stiles the way they might have feared the Argents. There’s rumblings in the kingdom already, doubts about how a mere child and a handful of his friends could have pulled off a coup this size. Stiles likes to keep his use of magic under wraps, but he admits the operation wouldn’t have been half as successful without Allison and her father standing up for what’s right, and admitting that their family had lost the core values that first guided past generations of Argents. The Code had become twisted into something that suited them and their hatred of the supernatural.

Stiles knows very well what prejudice is like. Some people turn their noses up at is Spark status. But Stiles knows it’s not the magic that’s corrupt, it’s the people that use it for their own gain. He also knows that it wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies when Scott was bitten. Stiles hopes this world starts focusing on resources for people who need them. He figures now is as good a time as any to get that ball rolling. Leading by example is a method he’s going to practice in his reign.

Allison and Chris may be Argent by name, but they were the only part of the family that still truly followed the Code. Stiles even trusted them enough to let them stay in the newly christened Stilinski dominion. There are far too many rooms for just himself, Scott, and Lydia. He sent word to his father in a very long rambling letter, so he should be making the long trip from Stiles’ hometown to come live with his son of freshly royal status. He’s not sure how he’s supposed to suddenly know how to rule over an entire population of citizens, but it’s nothing a little research can’t help in solving. He’s always said knowledge is power anyway.

"Scott! I need your help in here!"

Moments later, Scott appears in the doorway, looking slightly flushed but curious as to why he was summoned. Stiles smirked.

"Sorry for cutting into your Allison time man, but I need you to have something delivered for me. Looks like we’ll be attending a royal shindig with the pack to the south of us."

Scott titled his head, and looked like such a puppy that Stiles couldn’t help but laugh. The werewolf jokes practically write themselves when Scott’s involved.

"Are you sure that’s a good idea? I thought you and Lydia agreed it was best to lie low for a bit, give everyone time to cool down and find something else to gossip about."

Stiles shook his head, and pulled out a fancy looking piece of parchment to start drafting his acceptance of the Hale’s invitation.

"No one’s going to trust me if I’m hiding away like a hermit. How can you believe in a king who never shows his face?"

Scott smirked. "I don’t know man, I mean, hiding your face is kind of like performing a public service, right?"

Stiles burst out laughing. "Scotty, you barbaric bad wolf! There are plenty of cosmetic spells for that now." He raised his eyebrows as Scott laughed.

"Oh, mighty ruler. Your Highness, what a beautiful visage you have." Scott walked over just so Stiles could lightly sock him on the arm.

"Keep it up, loser, people can’t get enough of this," he said gesturing around his face and body, "Everybody loves the Stilinski charm." Stiles said as he finished the letter and signed his name with an obnoxious flourish. He folded it carefully, placing it in an appropriately sized envelope and handing it to his second-in-command. Scott took the envelope and made his way back out the door.

Scott scoffed. "Yeah, it’s just a shame you didn’t get any." He threw over his shoulder as he turned the corner and left Stiles’ sight.

"Oh, ha. Ha. Ha. Good one, Scotty! Original!" Stiles yelled, knowing his friend’s werewolf hearing could easily pick up his retort. Stiles exhaled roughly and slumped back into his chair, running his fingers swiftly through his wild hair. He missed the old days when it was shorn close to his scalp, but Lydia suggested he grow it out a bit.

"You’re not in middle school anymore Stiles, you’re going to be a King. Maybe it’s time you start looking like one."

His hair has grown wilder and he’s allowed Lydia to find clothing better suited for someone of his position of power, so he makes a good impression. He is very determined to get to know the Hale alpha and her pack. Being a king is all about making alliances, right? He’s the new crown on the block, so to speak, he’s going to have to communicate with these people sooner or later. For now, though, he needs to work on perfecting a spell to mask and disguise his scent. Something tells him that war hero or not, the general public won’t take too kindly to a magic user taking control of their territory. He tries to find a spell that will mask part of his scent.

Obviously, people will know of his spark status soon enough, he just wants to let people get to know him first, before the biases take over. Stiles finally lifts himself out of his chair and heads towards the room he has commandeered – hijacked – as his new workshop, flipping the wooden sign to "OFF LIMITS" as he shuts the door behind him.

~

"You’re going to have to make an appearance eventually, Derek. I know that public events and _socializing_ aren’t your favorite things in the world, but it comes with being in a pack of our standing, sweetheart."

Derek made sure his mother was distracted by her task of rifling through his closet before he discreetly rolls his eyes.

"The Argents are dead. I’m…happy. I just don’t understand the need to invite every pack we’ve ever heard of into our home to-to-" Derek exhales roughly. "I don’t even know what Laura has planned! Dancing? Drinking? What’s the point of all this celebration? Our family was almost-"

Derek stopped, gasping for air. He didn’t even feel the moisture on his face before his mother was wiping his cheeks with a soft cloth. She placed her hands securely on his shoulders and made sure he looked her in the eye before she spoke.

"Derek Hale, listen very closely to what I’m about to say. What happened was not your fault, and everyone made it out alive. We are going to be okay, and now the Argents are dethroned and defeated. We are throwing this party as thanks to the mage that led to their downfall." Derek narrowed his eyes suspiciously as his mother’s serious façade began to crumble, revealing a conniving grin.

"You are going to have to be more pleasant to them than you usually are to people outside the pack, dear. What kind of impression are you going to leave on our new neighbor king?"

Derek shrugged off his mother’s hands and grumbled.

"I don’t have to make any impression at all, Laura’s next in line, she’s the one that’s going to have to deal with him."

His mother smoothed back a lock of his hair that had fallen over his eyes and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. Derek held back a snappy comment about being too old for this now, because really, he almost lost his entire family during Kate’s sloppy, half-crazed assassination attempt. No matter how much he hates himself for bringing that demented women into their lives, he tries to convince himself that what his mother said was right. It wasn’t his fault.

Maybe one day he’ll be able to believe that.

His mother gave one last pat to his shoulder and turned to pull a nice shirt and elegant looking coat from his closet, setting them across his desk. She winked at him as she left his room.

"Let’s make it a good impression, shall we?"

Derek walked over to the window looking out across the northern hills of their territory. If he squinted, he thought he could make out the imposing silhouette of the Argent’s former home.

"No one even knows his name" He whispered to himself as the sun began to set.


	2. A Day Out on the Town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting the fic in it's entirety all at once because it is an exchange fic. Please enjoy!

"He accepted!"

Laura Hale slid into the main dining hall as Derek was sitting down for his morning meal.

"Who accepted what?" He asked as he ditched his fork and scooped his bacon up with his hands. What his mother can’t see won’t get him yelled at.

Laura pulled out the chair next to her brother and waved a piece of parchment in his face. "The mage! The new king! He’s coming to the celebration!"

Derek rolled his eyes and polished off the last of his bacon before wiping his hands on the cloth in his lap.

"Of course he accepted. The ball’s being thrown in his honor, isn’t it? That would be awfully rude, to not show up to your own appreciation banquet."

Laura punched her brother in the arm and glowered.

"Aren’t you even a little bit curious about what kind of person he is? He took down the entire Argent family with only a handful of soldiers, didn’t he? He must be strong."

Derek pictured an enormous man storming through the front gates of the Argent castle, wielding bolts of electricity like weapons in his grasp. Shaking his head, he turned back towards his sister.

"Do we even know his name yet? Where he’s from? What he looks like?"

Laura held open the letter to shove into his face. Derek skimmed it as his sister replied.

"He signed it as _M. Stilinski_ , but I don’t have the slightest clue where someone with a name that awful would hail from. Do you think it could be a moniker? A secret codename perhaps?"

"Wherever he’s from, just be sure not to insult the king during your first audience with him, please Laura."

Derek and Laura jump as their mother rounds the corner into the dining hall.

"Good morning mother." They mumble guiltily. The queen walks over to her eldest children and kisses them each on the cheek. She glances around the empty dining hall.

"Do either of you know where Cora has run off to now? She was supposed to be picking out an outfit for the party, it’s only three days away." She glanced worriedly towards the entrance hall. "She’s hiding from me. I just hope she’s not running off to town again."

Laura snickered.

"Popping off into the village to visit her new beau, perhaps?"

Derek and his mother both whipped their heads in Laura’s direction. Derek spluttered, his cheeks quickly flushing.

"Her-wh-Cora is-"

Laura cackled.

"Oh, did I let that slip out? Whoops, guess the sister code of secrecy expires when someone replaces my unscented body wash with something that smells like a high school boy’s locker room."

Talia shook her head as Derek continued to spout nonsense.

"That girl will be fodder for every journalist in the entire kingdom if we can’t keep a close eye on her. Please inform Cora that I would like to know all about this mysterious romantic interest of hers as soon as possible."

Laura’s laughter could be heard all the way down the hall as she left the dining room.

Talia turned back to her son, who had finally calmed down enough to get back to his breakfast.

"She’s not going to stay a child forever, you know. No matter how much we want her to, Derek. We’ll be throwing another gala in her honor in only half a year’s time, for her eighteenth birthday."

Derek shrugged and hunched over his eggs, but nodded softly. He didn’t have the heart to admit the reason he was upset to hear his sister was sneaking off to see someone was the fact that the last time it happened…well, Derek almost got his family assassinated. He really needed to talk to Cora about being more cautious around people. No matter how pretty or nice they seem to be.

He smiled softly as his mother ran her hand across the back of his neck and bid him a good day. Everyone will be busy preparing for the celebration. He hopes everything goes well, at least for his mother’s sake.

~

"Again! Allison, go harder on him, I’m sure he can handle it."

Chris Argent stood in the middle of the field they designated towards training practice, watching as his daughter shot arrow after arrow towards her boyfriend, while Scott tried to swiftly dodge each one.

Stiles smirked as he meandered on up to the Argent’s side to watch.

"No ulterior motives with today’s training procedure, right Chris?" he questioned with a sly grin. Chris chuckled and shrugged.

"If he’s going to date my daughter, he’ll have to learn to keep up."

Stiles guffawed. He watched as Scott took an arrow head in his right thigh and kept running. Stiles tapped his lips thoughtfully.

"No wolfsbane on the arrows today? You’ve gone soft, man."

Chris shook his head.

"Guess the kid is growing on me a little." He turned to stare as his new king. "What brings you out here in the sunshine today?"

Stiles grinned.

"I think my first new decree as King will be that every day begins at noon. How’s that sound? Like a mature, responsible decision?"

Chris gazed heavenwards before turning his attention back to the two young adults still fighting hard twenty feet in front of them.

"This kingdom has no clue what it’s in for."

Stiles waved that off. "They’re stuck with me now, no take-backs."

Scott jogged over, looking slightly out of breath, but the arrow had been yanked from his thigh and the wound had already healed over, so he was mostly fine.

"Finally! You missed it, Allison caught me right in the ass with a roundhouse kick earlier. You’ve would’ve wet yourself laughing at me."

"There’s still time, Scotty, my boy."

"Thanks, Stiles."

Allison joined his side, bow secured onto the strap around her torso and shoulder. Her father off to the left, keeping a careful eye on the group. Paranoia is a surprisingly good trait to have in Stiles’ new Head of Castle Security.

"This is great! You can finally go down to the next town over with Scott and I to that café place we were telling you about!"

Scott grinned.

"You’ll love their stuff! There were these chocolate cake things that they shaped into little wolves!"

Scott’s excitement was contagious, and Stiles laughed. "Didn’t take you for the cannibal type, dude."

Scott slapped his arm and rolled his eyes. "You in or not?"

"Well, the wards have been set and I’m sure Chris can handle my mail" He grinned as the man did not look remotely amused by the jibe. "What say we explore the neighborhood a bit before this gorgeous mug hits the tabloids, shall we?" He glanced over at Scott and Allison’s miscellaneous dirt and grass stains and frowned. "Maybe a shower first? I’ll ask Lydia if she wants to tag along."

The group nodded and made their way back to the castle grounds. Stiles waved at Scott and Allison as they went their separate ways. Chris headed back to his own workshop – the Argent’s armory was vast and Chris was helping Stiles take inventory. They needed to hire some actual employees soon. Chris suggested a clean slate, there was no way of knowing who was sympathetic towards his father’s "cause."

Stiles headed towards one of the wings on the second floor, finding Lydia researching – obviously – by taking notes next to a few open books in the library.

"Scott and Allison suggested a sightseeing venture through Hale kingdom - you in? I was promised chocolate cakes shaped like wolves."

Lydia glanced up as he leaned against the table she was working on.

"I suppose the bestiary can wait an afternoon. We should also go shopping, you can’t wear a Star Wars shirt to a royal event, Stiles. Don’t get in trouble with the Hales before you get to formally meet them."

Stiles grasped the front of said shirt with mock offense.

"Any kingdom that refuses to love me as I am, doesn’t deserve to have me." He passionately declared. He laughed when Lydia shoved him to the side as she walked out of the library. Together they went downstairs to wait for Scott and Allison.

~

"Oh wow, this place seems bigger than the last time we were here."

Stiles gazed at all the booths that were set up in what looked to be some sort of flea market near the town’s main square.

Lydia rolled her eyes and linked her arm tightly with Stiles’.

"The last time we were here, we were on a rescue mission to save you from Gerard’s torture chamber."

Scott clenched his jaw and Allison went to grab his hand before they sprouted claws. Stiles laid a hand on his buddy’s shoulder as if to thank him for the anger he’s showing on his behalf.

"Well this time, we’re on a mission for lunch, so let’s get hunting!" Stiles cheered and led the way down the stone paths of the town plaza. He was stopped by a hand on his shoulder, directing him in the opposite direction. Shooting a thankful grin Allison’s way, he started marching back along the stone paths leading towards the row of shops and restaurants.

Scott led them into a charming looking café owned by Tall Dark and Handsome, with a stoic face but a friendly enough tone. He lets them take their sweet time admiring each and every item before Stiles and Scott wind up ordering three things each. Allison gets a simple hot cocoa and Lydia gets some sort of tea that Stiles is sure tastes good to those lucky few who’s taste buds can actually appreciate it. Stiles knows that tea is an acquired taste, it’s just not one he’s ever acquired before. He’s always preferred something less watered down.

The café is a tiny place. Lydia calls it _quaint_ with a fond tone, but Stiles finds it a tad claustrophobic. They compromise by sitting down at a table in the corner, next to two people who appear to be on a slightly awkward first date, a blushing boy nervously peeling at the wrapper of his muffin, while the girl smiles and calmly sips at her drink.

Stiles and Scott devour their first of three pastries in two bites, Stiles letting out a borderline indecent groan that had the girl at the next table stifling a chuckle. She turns to greet them as Allison steals a bit of Scott’s chocolate wolf.

"Your first time coming to Boyd’s?" she asks as Stiles shoves half of his own chocolate wolf in his mouth. He nods enthusiastically as Lydia pipes up.

"Boyd was the man at the front counter? He doesn’t seem the type to own a cute little place like this." The girl laughs in response.

"The café was his girlfriend, Erica’s, idea. She found out about his talent for baking sweets. She runs the business side of things. They got a donation from the Hale family and bought the place from the last tenant."

Scott finally looked away from making googly eyes at Allison and turned towards the new girl. "The Hale family? They donated money to a guy for his bakery?"

The boy with the blond curls sitting at the table with the girl had finally finished carefully peeling his muffin wrapper and joined the conversation. He shared a sly grin with the girl. "Boyd and Erica are…close with the royal family. They know the Hale son, Derek."

At this information, Stiles sat a bit straighter. "The Hale’s have a son? I thought it was just the daughter, Laura. And the Queen’s brother."

The girl found this funny for some reason. "The Hale’s have three children and yes, the Queen’s brother, Peter. Pardon me for this but, are you all new here? There aren’t many around here who don’t know about the royal family." Scott went red but Allison thought quickly.

"We’re passing through on our way to the next kingdom, we’re starting work for the new King."

The girl stared at Allison for a while before glancing over to Stiles. She held out her hand. "Well, if you ever get an audience with him, tell him people are glad to see the Argents gone. That family was nothing but trouble." Allison slowly shook her hand and nodded hesitantly. Lydia subtly placed her hand over Allison’s when the younger girl moved on to shake Stiles’ hand, who was closest.

"So, what’s your name? And who’s your friend?" Stiles asked.

"I’m Cora, and this is my buddy Isaac. We come here a lot, so feel free to visit if you get any free time working for the new king."

Stiles nodded at Isaac, who hid by taking a large bite of his muffin.

Scott grinned at the prospect of new friends. "Nice to meet you both! I’m Scott, and this is Lydia, Stiles, and Allison." Isaac shyly shook Scott’s hand as he reached over the rest of his friends.

Cora grinned sharply. "Likewise," She glanced at the clock on the café wall and waved at Isaac to finish his muffin. "C’mon, we’re running out of time here." She smiled one last time at Stiles’ group before standing up and pushing in her chair, fetching her empty cup to toss in the bin on her way out. "Hope to see you all around sometime. Good luck with your new job!" She grabbed Isaac by the fashionable scarf he had around his neck, and the poor boy almost choked on the rest of his snack. They disappeared out the front door, the tinkling of the bell finalizing their exit.

Lydia leaned closer to the group, chin resting daintily on her clasped hands. "An interesting pair." She tipped back the rest of her tea and balled up her napkin. "Time for us to get a move on as well, we need to find Stiles a nice outfit for the gala."

The group scooped up their empty cups and dirty napkins, waving to Boyd on the way out as he reappeared from the back room carrying a tray of fresh goods. He nodded in their direction as they left.


	3. Prepping for a Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with me this far!

Derek corners Cora when she returns to her room later that day.

"Laura said you snuck out to meet up with a boy today," he says as he crosses his arms in his best _intimidating older brother_ stance "Who was it?"

Cora rolls her eyes and goes back to fiddling with her phone like she was when Derek stormed in. "He’s a friend, his name is Isaac, and we just went to Boyd and Erica’s place by the Hale border." Cora throws her phone near her pillow and sits up to look at her brother.

"Met some people who claimed they were going to work for the new King. Apparently, he really did a clean sweep with the castle staff. I’ll bet he’s almost as paranoid as you are, didn’t want any Argent loyalists skulking around."

Derek clenched his teeth at the mention of the Argents, but slowly uncrossed his arms. "Just…Don’t go wandering off. Tell mom you’re leaving next time."

Cora sighed. "fine, sure, alright. Or maybe next time you could come with me. Get out of this stuffy place occasionally. See the sights, Der." Cora pleaded with her hands outstretched towards Derek, who slowly walked over and gave his sister a hug. Derek nuzzled her hair until she shooed him off, fixing the strands back into place. He turned to leave, but hesitated with one hand gripping the doorway. He turned back towards his sister, who had picked up her phone and was typing away once more.

"Maybe." He grumbled, and Cora grinned even as she stayed focused on her screen. Derek rolled his shoulders and left the room.

~

"I think seventeen pairs of pants are excessive. Don’t you think that sounds like too much? Even with my aversion to household chores, I think now that I’m a king, I can afford my own washer/dryer." Stiles is rambling as he and Scott struggle to keep their grips on the overflowing mountain of dress pants and slacks that Lydia purchased for Stiles. Allison and Lydia are holding garment bags bursting at the seams full of professional looking shirts and jackets to wear at events and press conferences until they can hire a formal tailor.

Lydia scoffs. "Plaid over-shirts and ratty jeans do not make up a dress code suitable for royalty, Stiles. You make look like a fourteen-year-old but that doesn’t mean you have to act like it." She adjusts her grip on the garment bag and nods at the two of Chris Argent’s new men posted by the front gates. They scramble to hold the door when Lydia smiles charmingly at them. The men bow at Stiles as he walks past them and Stiles grins, flashing some sparks in their direction, and they stiffen, staring straight ahead as the rest of the group walks onto the castle grounds.

Scott and Allison run off to spend some private time together so Lydia makes Stiles stand in front of no less than three mirrors for hours while she dresses him. He tries on outfit after outfit before Lydia makes him settle on a bright red three-piece suit.

Stiles whistles softly as he does a slow turn to appraise himself in the mirrors. Lydia’s smug reflection stares back at him. Stiles chuckles to himself and nods. "Alright, I’ll admit, you were right. Good choice, Lyds."

Lydia flipped her hair over her shoulder and raised one perfect eyebrow as if to say _I can’t believe you doubted me,_ but she smiles softly after a while and gives Stiles a brief hug. "Alright, now take it off before you spill something on it. This suit has to stay pristine for tomorrow night."

Stiles squawked indignantly as Lydia tugged at his buttons. "I can undress myself, Lydia! I’m a _sovereign_. I’ve got this."

When he came back from the dressing room with his pants over one arm, jacket and vest over the other, Lydia studies him closely.

"Are you ready for a big Hale gala? This is big, Stiles."

Stiles carefully hung up his suit and shrugged. "Ruling an entire kingdom, how hard can that be? Now mingling and all that, it’s tough work."

Lydia smiled and chastely kissed his cheek. "We’ve known each other for a long time Stiles, you know Scott and I are always going to be by your side. We know you can do this, and we’ll be right there to help you along."

Stiles smiled and pulled her in for a quick hug. "Thanks Lydia. I trust you guys to steer me the right way."

Lydia excuses herself as it gets later. Stiles however, is restless. He’s buzzing with nervous energy. He’s ready to take on the world at this moment.

He decides he better put his energy to good use and start strengthening the wards around his new home. He set up the foundation when he first arrived, but now he needs to go around making sure they’re secure. Grabbing a few jars of mountain ash from the room he repurposed as his workshop, he sets to work.

He waves to Chris as he passes him during his rounds, and stumbles upon Scott and Allison making out on the opposite side of the castle from where he saw Chris. He makes exaggerated gagging noises before telling the two lovebirds to go to bed.

After making sure every edge and corner of his new home is protected, Stiles puts the empty mountain ash jars back in his workshop and finds a cozy alcove under a big window where he can sit and watch the stars. He brings along a magic tome he was studying a while ago and picks up where he left off, reading by moonlight as he finally manages to concentrate for a little while.

He hopes everything goes smoothly during the gala tomorrow, and that the Hale’s are willing to work with him as an allied force instead of an enemy, like the former Argents.

He thinks maybe he’ll let Scott do the schmoozing, since his own remarks tend to come out more like insults rather than the playful banter he means them to be. He’s never been much of a people-pleaser, but that will all have to change now that he’s got a kingdom to be responsible for.


	4. The Big Night!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You made it!! I hope you enjoyed it!

Derek wakes up to his sister Laura’s face hovering over his own. He grouchily shoves her away and rolls over.

“Oh, nuh-uh, nice try, Der-Bear. Mom called for you hours ago, I let you sleep in as long as I could. Everything’s almost ready for tonight, but you need to get dressed and start helping. Even Cora got roped into this.” Laura sits on top of where Derek has burrowed underneath his layers of blankets. He groans in pain when she shifts around.

“Get your bony ass off my kidney, I’m getting up.” Derek growls as Laura smacks him softly on the head.

“You better watch yourself or your favorite Henleys are going to end up with some fashionable claw marks through them.” Derek and Laura have a brief glaring match at each other when Derek pops his head off his comfy pillow.

He narrows his eyes at her. “You wouldn’t dare.”

All his sister does is smirk, “Watch me.” Laura says, flashing her fangs at him.

Derek groans loudly and rolls his eyes, shuffling out of bed in his soft rumpled shirt and pajama pants. Laura playfully ruffles his hair, scenting him, before skipping off to complete whatever task their mother had her doing before she came to get Derek.

"Love you, Der! See you soon!” she sing-songs as she rounds the corner and heads downstairs.

Derek grudgingly heads towards his bathroom to get ready for the day.

~

Lydia is talking to Allison about security measures for the castle when they’re all away at the Hale kingdom tonight when Stiles steps down the stairs. He finally woke up as the evening is nearing closer. Lydia has her hair all up in curlers in preparation for tonight, her nails done a dark green to compliment the dress she’ll be wearing. Scott is pouting like a kicked puppy in the corner because Stiles, Lydia, and Chris all thought it’d be best if the two remaining Argents stayed at Stilinski castle to keep watch. If any of the Hales caught their scent, there would be the threat of an all-out war on their hands.

So, Romeo and Juliet will have to manage themselves without each other for one night. Stiles thinks one or both might actually end up dying of a broken heart before the night is up. Stiles also knows Lydia might be just as upset to be apart from her partner in crime for even a few hours.

Stiles saunters over to talk to his best friend before he knows he’ll have to start putting on his fancy suit and fixing the bird’s nest on his head that’s started to grow past the point of managable. He sighs as he sits next to where Scott is – no joke – staring at a picture of himself and Allison on his phone. Stiles guffaws.

“My dude, we’ll be at this thing maybe four hours, tops. I think you and Allison will be alright. You guys have gone way longer than that since you got together.”

Scott clicks the button on the side of his phone and watches the screen go dark, only his sad reflection staring back at him. “I know. I’m just worried about her being alone when we’re away.”

Stiles scoffed. “Are you listening to yourself? Allison would kick your ass if she heard you implying in any way that she wasn’t fully capable of taking care of herself, you know that. Besides, Chris has been raising an army of new security recruits, and I trust him. Everything’s going to be perfectly fine,” he runs his palm swiftly back and forth threw his messy mop of hair. “Besides, I’m more worried about how the Hale’s are going to react. I’m not exactly the first thing that comes to mind when people think of a King.”

Scott shook his head and slapped his buddy heartily on the shoulder. “No way, man, you’ll be great! You’ve figured out the scent problem, so if you decide to do a big magical reveal, you’ll be able to do it on your own terms. Don’t stress about it too much. I’ve got your back.”

Stiles grinned at the man who was practically a brother to him. They exchanged a complicated form of fist bump/hand shake maneuver and Stiles exhaled deeply, brushing off his pants and hopping up with a flourish. He got Lydia’s attention and threw his arms to the side dramatically, nearly striking Scott in the side of the face as he stood up to meet him.

“What part of me should we start with first?”

~

Derek stood stiffly in his charcoal grey suit as guests began filing in through the main entrance. Cora passed by him earlier and told him to look less like he was ready to strangle anyone who wandered too close, but Derek’s not sure if he was able to school his expression to anything more genial than moderately aggravated.

Laura and Talia were the social butterflies of this family. Derek and Cora prefer to stand with their father on the sidelines. Speaking of Cora, Derek wonders where she ran off to. He figured she’d want to be hiding like he is, stowed away by one of the many tables covered in glasses full of various beverages. He scans the room in the hopes of spotting the dark blue dress she wore to the party, but the ballroom is quickly filling up with citizens and members of the upper class from other territories who came to thank the new King. The Hales weren’t the only supernatural family tormented by the Argents when Kate went off the rails.

But that’s all over now. Kate’s dead and Derek has this mysterious new king to thank for that. He glances around the room once more, wondering if this  _ King Stilinski  _ has arrived yet. He’s about to move to a different hiding spot – guests are starting to wander over to get refreshments – when he finally spots Cora. She’s talking to a red head in an elaborate green gown and –

Derek stops abruptly, almost sending some poor waiter holding a precarious tray of empty champagne glasses to the floor. He sends the waiter a quick apologetic nod and tries to spot him again.

There.

He’s wearing the brightest red suit Derek’s ever seen, and something about the way the red looks on his skin leaves Derek breathless. His suit looks perfectly tailored to every part of him, and Derek swallows the lump that’s suddenly formed in his throat as he nervously walks towards where the man is talking to his younger sister.

He saunters up and sees Cora smirking at the two guests.

“So, how’s this…  _ new job  _ treating you?” Cora asks, which somehow sets the man – no, he’s younger than Derek first thought, probably more around Cora’s age – into a fit of laughter, his head tossed back, the column of his neck exposed. Derek frantically looks away and reaches for his sister’s shoulder, getting her attention at last.

Cora grins when she sees her brother. “Derek! You’re actually mingling, I’m so proud.” She gestures towards the boy – and even the moles scattered along the side of his jaw are horrendously attractive – and the red-haired woman that Derek had embarrassingly forgot about the moment he spotted the boy. “I’d like you to meet Lydia Martin and-”

The boy throws his hand out in Derek’s direction before Cora can finish. “Why  _ hello there _ , you can call me Stiles.”

Derek is so flustered at this moment, he forgets his manners. “What’s a Stiles?” he fumbles as he reaches for the boy’s hand, distracted by the length of his fingers and the fact that he can see the edge of another freckle peeking out from is jacket sleeve. Derek desperately wants to know where else they spread.

For some reason, Cora elbows him harshly in his side. “Derek! You can’t just – this is-” but the boy –  _ Stiles  _ – holds up his other hand placatingly.

“It’s alright, I get that a lot. I’m sure  _ Derek  _ here doesn’t mean anything by it.” Stiles throws a wink – an actual wink – in Derek’s direction, and he’s mortified to realize his ears and the back of his neck are starting to feel rather warm. Cora subtly nods her head in the other woman’s direction and Derek clears his throat. He leans in to shake her hand as well.

“Pleasure to meet you both. My apologies, I’m not the best at handling,” he gives Stiles a brief once-over before meeting Lydia’s eyes, “…crowds.” He finishes lamely.

Lydia takes it all in stride, laughing charmingly before turning back to Cora. “Don’t worry about it, Stiles is a lot to throw at people the first time.” And Stiles throws an exaggerated expression of offence her way.

“Now see, that’s just rude. I think I’m just the right amount of me to throw at people, thank you very much.” Derek’s not sure how that sentence made much sense, but Stiles is adjusting his tie and Derek gets distracted by his hands once again.

Cora saves him from further embarrassment by grabbing his arm and slowly pulling him away. She bows gently, and Derek thinks these people must have made quite the impression for them to gain Cora’s respect so easily.

“We’ll go find Queen Talia and introduce you to the court in a moment. Please enjoy yourselves.” She says and Derek sees Stiles wave him goodbye before he’s yanked into the throngs of partygoers. Derek tries to identify what was off about the interaction, before he realizes he couldn’t get a good handle on Stiles’ scent. Perhaps he was wearing cologne.

“Did you know those people, Cora?” he asks, as they both search for Talia. He lets out an “Oof!” as his sister stops walking without warning. She turns back and looks confused for a moment before she blinks and the expression is gone.

“They were part of the group I met when Isaac and I went to Boyd and Erica’s place. The one’s who said they were starting work at the Stilinski Castle.” Cora explains as she starts walking again.

Derek wonders why that sounds like she avoided the question, but he dismisses it. He hopes the new king allows more of a partnership between their lands, so he could maybe see Stiles again. He shakes his head. He should focus on finding his mother for now.

Cora and Derek eventually find their mother greeting a line of guests near the front entrance. Cora lets go of Derek to whisper something in her mother’s ear. Talia looks startled for a moment before she turns to her guest with an apologetic look on her face. She politely excuses herself and moves towards Cora and Derek.

“He’s here? He’s arrived? Did you tell him we’ll make the announcement to the court?” Talia asks, and Cora nods excitedly.

Derek feels like he’s missed a step in this process somehow. “Wait, who’s here?” he asks his family.

Cora grins at him. “The neighboring King has arrived, we’re about to introduce him to everyone.”

Derek blinks in surprise, his eyebrows shooting up into his hairline. “He’s here already? You talked to him?”

Cora laughs in his face. “I sure did, big bro. Now come on, mom’s going to need to get to that stage over there.” Together, Cora and Derek escort their alpha to the medium sized stage on one side of the great ballroom.

Derek startles when someone lays a hand on his shoulder. “Finally! Did we find him? I didn’t even know who to look for, this king didn’t exactly send a headshot with his invite acceptance.”

Derek turns towards Laura and smiles. They stand together as their father walks over to join them. Talia steps onto the stage and clears her throat into the microphone to grab the room’s attention. Silence spreads across the ballroom as people slowly set down their drinks and plates. Derek sees most of the room paying rapt attention to their queen, waiting excitedly to meet the new sovereign next door.

Talia waits for everyone to settle down before smiling down at the crowd.

“Good evening everyone. As you all know, we’re here to honor our neighboring King and to celebrate the defeat of the corrupt Argent family at his hands, as well as the hands of those loyal to him.”

Derek glances away from his mother and straightens when he spots Stiles standing a short distance away from him. He’s standing with the woman, Lydia, and another man with a slightly crooked jawline and honest, open eyes. Stiles turns to whisper something in the man’s ear when he catches Derek staring at him. Stiles waves with his hand still close to his side, careful not to cause a scene during Talia’s speech. Derek tries to smile in a way that won’t look like he’s in pain, but he thinks he might not have succeeded, because Stiles chuckles softly before returning his attention to the queen.

Derek loses track of the speech, but he pays attention when Talia announces the presence of King Stilinski, and invites him onto the stage.

The crowd roars with applause, but Derek can’t hear anything as he watches Stiles and his two friends climb the stairs onto the stage and walk up to Talia. He’s confused. Where was the King?

Derek watches as Stiles bows towards Talia. He lets her place her hand gently on the side of his neck – a show of trust and respect for both – and walks confidently up to the microphone, his company right behind him. Derek thinks Cora’s saying something to him, but his eyes are glued to Stiles, watching as he grins wide and humbly ducks his head as the applause continues.

“I’d like to start by saying thank you to the citizens of every kingdom that came here to celebrate with us tonight. Alpha Hale has been incredibly courteous to throw this event in my honor, as well as greatly compassionate to let me into her home and kingdom. I’d like to introduce you all to my closest friends and consorts.”

He holds out his hands and the woman and man stand next to him. Lydia looks confident and in her element, while the man with the crooked jaw looks vaguely nervous to be in the center of attention.

Stiles gestures to Lydia. “I’d like you to meet Lydia Martin,” he then sweeps his hand towards the other man, “and Scott McCall.” They all bow towards the crowd at once. “We hope to be worthy of our new responsibilities,” Derek is shocked as Stiles meet his eyes from onstage. “And it is my personal hope that the Stilinski kingdom and the Hales can form an alliance stronger than any in the past. We’d like to send a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to each and every one of you.”

The crowd applauds again and Derek bring his hands together as if in a trance, watching as Stiles and his court leave the stage and get ambushed by the hordes of citizens desperate to meet their King - or neighboring King - now that they know who he is.

Cora’s got this smug grin on her face and suddenly Derek realizes.

“You knew who he was.” He accuses.

Cora shrugs. “Not at first. Not at Erica and Boyd’s place. But tonight, Lydia told me. The King’s apparently very humble. Not used to the limelight. He’s really overwhelmed by all this.” She grips Derek’s forearm and grins wide, showing her teeth. “Plus, I’m pretty sure he thought you were cute, and didn’t want you to get all formal just because he’s our new neighbor.”

Laura interjects by throwing her arms around her siblings. “Excuse me, what’s this I hear? Does our loveable Der-Bear have a crush on the smoking hot King?” Derek groans and gazes pleadingly towards where his father was standing.

David Hale walks over with a sigh. “Why do I feel like this conversation is none of my business?” He asks with a mischievous squint.

Laura and Cora grin at their father. “Hey dad, are we still in the habit of arranged marriages? I think Derek would make a great peace offering to the King.”

Derek retaliates with a pinch to Laura’s side, and she jumps with a squeal.

“Settle down, children. Derek, why don’t you go offer our thanks to King Stilinski?” David puts a controlling hand on each of his daughters’ shoulders so his only son can make his escape. Derek blushes but nods his thanks towards his father, and runs off in search of Stiles.

Chapter 5)

Stiles spends most of the night greeting people, desperately trying to remember names and faces, and trying to stop Scott from checking his phone for texts from Allison every five minutes. He explains to every new person that it wasn’t just him that fought the Argents that night. He’s a Spark, but Lydia, his Banshee in Chief as he joked once – just the once – was there kicking ass just as much as he was, and Scott had werewolf strength and stamina on his side. He was greeted by other wolves, dryads, fae, even a few members of the supernatural community he hadn’t heard of outside of the old tomes in his library.

He was finishing a conversation with an older brownie when Lydia tapped him on the shoulder and nodded to their right. “Prince Hottie finally picked his jaw up off the floor and is headed your way.”

Stiles swung his head to see Derek walking towards them with a purpose. He thanked the brownie woman for coming out and breathed in deeply, exhaling slowly to calm his racing heartbeat. The wolf would surely hear it anyway, but he thought he’d give it the old college try.

As Derek approached, Stiles held out his hand again. “Prince Hale, lovely to see you ag-”

“You’re a King and I made a complete fool of myself, I’m sorry.” Derek rushed to apologize, “I didn’t mean to- I mean it was inappropriate that I- What I’m trying to-” Stiles laughed as Derek hunched into himself.

“You have nothing to apologize for, man, I interrupted Cora because I didn’t want you to know right away. I’m just a guy. I mean, yeah, I’m kind of royalty now, and I practice magic, but taking down the Argents was a team effort. I’m not some all-powerful being. That’s not the image I want people to have of me.” Stiles claps his hand on Derek’s shoulder, and he smiles. “Plus, maybe I thought you were incredibly attractive and I wanted to watch you squirm for a bit.”

Derek flushed. “Well, maybe…That goes both ways. The, uh, thinking you were attractive thing, I mean.” He says as he shrugs.

Stiles grins. “Yeah?”

Derek smiles shyly back at him. “Yeah.”

Stiles slides his hand along Derek’s arm and reaches for his hand, scenting him. Whether he was doing it knowingly or not, it brings a renewed flush to Derek’s cheeks. “I think, Prince Derek, that this alliance will be much easier than I initially anticipated.”

Derek swallows nervously. “I think maybe an alliance would be mutually beneficial. I’d certainly be willing to get my mother to participate in any peace talks you have planned.”

Stiles grins up at him through his lashes. “And what if I had other plans in mind?”

Derek nervously grips Stiles’ palm tighter. “What other plans did you have in mind?”

“I was wondering, Derek Hale, if perhaps you’d let me court you. Formally.”

Derek blinked. “C-court me?”

Stiles steps closer. “You know, dinner. Walks in the park. Flowers. Cheesy pick-up lines. Maybe you’d like to give it a try sometime?”

Derek nods. “I think I would greatly enjoy that, your Highness.”

Stiles laughs. “Now that, I could get used to.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'd like to thank you so much for reading this fic! It's my second posted fic for the Teen Wolf fandom, so go easy on me, haha. Please hit that kudos button if you enjoyed any part of this fic (and let me know which part that was, in the comments!) This fic was for bat_hawk and I hope you liked it!! Sorry if it didn't fit your prompt to a T, like I said, this ran away from me a bit. Hope you're all having a great day!  
> (P.S. The formatting for this fic went all wonky in the posting process. I'm working on fixing it)  
> (P.P.S. Hey guys, don't copy-paste directly from Word into ao3, they don't get along, Formatting should be fixed!)


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